10 Things That Transformed My Makeup Routine

Hey doll hey! How’s your day/night going? Great I hope.

I have been watching a heap of YouTube lately and have come across a few videos that were inspired by Alli Glines . She is such a sweet and amazing person. The video that started this trend is called 4 Things That TRANSFORMED My Makeup . After watching her video and a few others who have followed in her foot steps I realized that there are several things that I have changed that have really stepped up my makeup game and though this might be great to share with all my beauty dolls out there.

So without further ado I present you with my 10 Things That Have Transformed My Makeup Routine ….

I use to apply only 1 primer and then go straight into my base products. A few weeks ago I started applying a hydrating primer and follow that up with a glow primer (waiting 10 minutes between the first and second primer and then waiting about 5 minutes for the second primer to sink in before applying my base products). This gives my first primer (typically a hydrating one) around 20 to 30 minutes to fully sink into and interact with my face, allowing my face to full take advantage of the hydration it gives.

Allowing my second primer to sink in a bit before going in with my base products also allows that the primer sets down some which allows for a much smoother and longer lasting foundation application.

This tip is simple but has been so effective in how my complexion has turned out.

I use to apply a pump directly to each quadrant of my face, even sometimes adding extra coverage by way of a mixed in glow product, using a foundation brush to spread it out and then going in with a beauty sponge to blend it into my face. The result was always a heavier, less skin like complexion.

Now I use only 1 to 2 pumps of foundation (or 1 to 2 pumps of foundation and a glow mix in) and I apply it to a foundation palette and use my finger to dot the product onto my face (typically about 5 dots on each quadrant of the face and 1 small dot to the nose) and then I will blend it out with a damp beauty sponge that I’ve sprayed with a little setting spray. The combo of using less product and using a sponge that has a little setting spray on it just melts the foundation into the skin so seamlessly!

I have always struggled with how crepey my under eyes always seem to look anytime I’m wearing corrector and concealer … doesn’t matter if it’s a hydrating one or a matte one … it always ended up looking crepey and most of the time would crease … now it does not and I couldn’t be happier!

What I use to do is apply my corrector and concealer first before any other face product and I would dip my finger into the corrector and apply it all under my eye and then blend it in with a sponge and then go in with concealer all under my eye and blend that in with sponge then set my under eyes and then I would set my concealer when I set the rest of my face.

The first thing I changed is that I wait till the last step to do my under eyes and I do 1 at a time instead of both at the same time. The second thing I changed is that I do not apply either product directly to my face. The third thing I changed is that I do not use my finger for corrector and I do not blend my under eye products with a sponge anymore.

After my foundation, cream contour, cream highlighter, and cream blush are applied I then go in with a fluffy concealer brush and I lightly tap it into the corrector and then I tap it onto the back of my hand to get the corrector to evenly disburse into the brush and tap off any extra I might had accidentally picked up. I then tap it directly over the deepest part of my under eye and work to the outer corner of the eye, I then wipe off the brush and go over the under eye area to blend and buff it into my under eye. I then do the same to the other eye and then I apply my concealer to the back of my hand and again buff my brush over the concealer to disburse the concealer into the brush and to tap off any excess. I then lightly tap and buff the concealer brush over 1 eye at a time. Once I have the concealer perfectly blended into my under eye I take my sponge and spray it with a bit of setting spray and tap my palm to make sure it’s not too saturated and then I lightly tap it over the under eye and then flip the sponge to the other side (the side with no setting spray) and tap it into my under eye setting powder and tap that on my makeup towel to remove the extra powder and then I lightly tap that over the under I just tapped out with setting spray and gently push the powder into the concealer to set it in place. I then switch to the second eye and repeat the steps. FLAWLESS under eyes EVERY TIME!

This one has been a freaking true GAME CHANGER!!! I use to just use my setting spray to set my makeup at the end of application to take down some of the powder and lock my makeup in place.

Now I use my setting spray at 4 steps in my makeup routine.

First: I spray my face with setting spray before and after I apply my primers. This re-hydrates my face and revives my skin care and it helps my primer to sink into my skin a bit more.

Second: After I’ve allowed my foundation to sit for 10 minutes to allow it to set a little I then spray my face with setting spray and bounce my beauty sponge over my face lightly to melt the foundation into the skin more. This melts the foundation in and creates a more seamlessly flawless look and it helps the foundation not break up throughout the day. I’ve noticed since doing this my foundation lasts the whole day (I’ve gotten a good 14 hours out of my foundation using this method).

Third: As I explained in my concealer section I take my sponge and spray it with a bit of setting spray and tap my palm to make sure it’s not too saturated and then I lightly tap it over the under eye. This melts the concealer so beautifully!! This method has lead to almost flawless under eyes (let’s face it, I’m 46 years old so I have fine lines that will always make my under eyes look a tiny bit textured… but with this method it is so minute that I have the confidence to take up close pictures now that I didn’t have before).

Forth: I use my setting spray to, of’course, set my makeup as the last step. I use my makeup fan to dry the setting spray 1/2 way and then I lightly tap a clean damn beauty sponge over the face to push the setting spray deeper into the makeup … this not only melds all the products together, but also picks up any unmelted powder that might still be on the face.

I use to only use powder contour. It was effective but always seemed to be a little patchy and a bit too grey under toned leaving my face looking a hint too ashy.

On a whim I purchased this cream contour and noticed that my contour had never looked better.

I also changed the way I apply the cream contour to my face. I use to apply it straight from the sponge tip applicator on the contour wand, the result was always a little too much contour and a little too much space covered.

Now what I do it apply the contour to my foundation palette and I use a flat thin concealer brush tapped into the product to drawl the contour along the forehead, hollows of the cheeks and jaw line and then I use a beauty sponge to tap the contour into the skin. The result is a more controlled contour with better shaping of the face.

I also have started using cream contour under my bottom lip, in the philtrum (the vertical indentation in the middle area of the upper lip), over the upper lip, and the little dip just between my bottom lip and my chin… all with the same brush. I then go in with a thick c brush and lightly buff the contour into the skin. I then take whatever is left on the foundation palette and tap it into the pointy side of the beauty sponge and then tap it onto my makeup towel to make sure it’s not too saturated and then I bounce it over the sides of my nose to add contour to my nose to slim it down a little.

I use to only use powder blushes and highlighters. The result was always dustier, cakier looking makeup and more textured cheek bones where my highlighter would be places. I also noticed that no matter how hard I tried to buff the highlighter in, it always seemed to look like a stripe on my face.

Now I had already been using a cream bronzer from time to time (my beloved Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzer) but I never considered that one a true cream bronzer because it always set down with a thin powdery finish, but on the heels of discovering cream contour I branched out and started to dabble in cream blush and cream highlighters.

My method for application of these 2 types of products has also changed. I use to use a beauty sponge to apply my cream blushes and highlighters … the result was always a bit patchy and not as dewy of a look.

I now apply my cream blushes with a duo-fiber blush brush (my favorite one is from ELF cosmetics – the small duo-fiber brush). I just tap it into the blush … tape it on the back on my hand to disburse the product and remove any excess… and then I lightly bounce the brush over my cheek bones. The result is a flawless flush of color that remains dewy even after I’ve set the blush with powder. If my face powder takes down some of the color I’ll then go into a powdered blush (with a light tap) and then gently tap that over the cheeks to add just a hint more color.

For my cream highlighter I now dispense a little bit onto the back of my hand and tap my finger into it and bounce my finger over my hand a bit more to tap off any extra highlighter I then gently tap the highlighter on my finger over the high points of my face, my cupid’s bow, and with whatever is left over I take a very fine detailer brush and tap it over the back of my hand and then sweep it over the ridges of the philtrum … this makes the contour I did there really pop a bit. The result is a finer, almost undetectable lilt to the skin. It’s all dew and no streak!

As an added bounce to this section I also purchase this Tarte SEA Breezy Blender Cream Bronzer Brush for $29 at Sephora (well I purchased mine from the Tarte website, but you can find it at Sephora too). This brush is the perfect shape, the perfect density, the perfect texture (not too soft and not too stiff) and the perfect size to disburse cream bronzer over the face without going over board, without lifting or disturbing the face products underneath, and without buffing in patchy. It’s just the perfect addition to my collection.

There are a couple of things that I do differently with my face powders now.

First: I have completely stopped baking my jawline, under eyes and center of my forehead. The result is a less sharper/harsher looking jawline, no cakey looking under eyes, and less textured forehead (albeit my forehead is smoother now than it was a year ago do to the skin care routine I keep now). I still do baked the sides of my nose for 2 reasons… #1 I tend to get more of a worn look on the sides of my nose if I don’t bake it and #2 it helps me shape my nose contour better … if you bake the sides of your nose it can help your nose look more snatched.

Second: I switched from setting my face from time to time with pressed powder to always setting my face with a loose powder. I also have learned that less is more with face powder… so I will typically tap my brush off a few times before I set my bases.

Lastly: I switched from a dense powder brush to a large fluffy looser powder brush …. the result is a flawless set and airbrushed look.

If you’ve been reading my blog for more than the past 4 months then you know my go to eyelid primer use to actually be 2 different concealers. I never bought into the whole “eye primer” craze. The result was always drier looking eyelids, creasing throughout the day, and patchier blends of shadow.

Ever since I discovered the P.Louise Base (which I picked up on a whim just to try it out and not really thinking it would be life changing) I have been obsessed with eye primers!!

The way I apply my primers has changed too. I use to just pat it on with my fingers which resulted in uneven coverage that always ended up with way too much product on the eyes resulting in heavier looking shadow that just never seemed to be blended all the way.

Now I put a small amount on the back of my hand and I use a thin concealer brush that I load with the product and I pat it onto the lids. I make sure it’s evenly disbursed and than I go back in with a fluffy round top crease brush and make sure to buff and blend it out thinly. I then can go in and do my eye makeup…. the result is a better blend and no dry looking eyelids that do not crease throughout the day.

There are a few things that I have changed with the way with which I do my brows now.

First: I now do my brows BEFORE I do any other makeup step. I use to do my brows last … the result was always harsher, uneven brows that never seemed to match the eye looks I did and patchy makeup around my brows. This was because it was hard to do the under part of my brow with all the eye shadow on (which always seemed to get smeared and messed up with the application of my brows). It was also always hard to sharpen up the brow lines because it always messed with the foundation I had on.

Second: I ALWAYS set my brows with either a gel or using the soap brow method FIRST …. I use to set my brows AFTER I had filled them in but the result was always uneven brow color or smeared brow color and the brows never seemed to stay pigmented all day. Ever since I stared setting my brows first I have had better application of my brows and they last all day now.

Third: I no longer use concealer to sharpen up my brow lines. This always resulted in my brows being uneven (as in one was always more lopsided than the other) and there always being this harsh line around the top side of my brows. I now use a brow highlighter pencil all around my brow lines and then I go in and finish my face. Once I’ve gotten to the foundation stage (which I do AFTER I’ve done my eye makeup to keep the eye shadow fallout at bay) I use a light amount of the foundation on a concealer brush and I go around the top part of my brows. The result is sharper, more defined brows that no longer have a harsh line around them.

I never use to really do anything to keep my lips soft and supple. I mean I would wear lip balm to bed but I never would prep my lips before applying lip products. The result was always super noticeable crevices under my lipstick.

Now, not only do I use the residual face serums on my lips, I use a collagen rich lip mask which I put on right after my skin care routine and then apply again after my foundation is on (so that I can remove any foundation that may have gotten on my lips). The result is supple fuller look lips that are soft with less visible lines.

Well dolls… that was my 10 Things That Transformed My Makeup Routine.

I really believe that these 10 simple but effective things really have helped my step up my makeup game.

Are there any tips and tricks you do now that you hadn’t done before that have really changed you makeup game?

I hope that you enjoy the rest of your day/night and that you are in good spirits and health.

Remember…. Save a spoon for a bit of lipstick.

XOX, Nita